


Kneecaps

by fizziefizzco



Series: Theory of Relativity [1]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Biotic Shepard (Mass Effect), David as Alycia's father, F/F, Non-shepard shepard, Past Teen Pregnancy, one sided shenko
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:20:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23393920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fizziefizzco/pseuds/fizziefizzco
Summary: "I'm sorry David." The fire headed seventeen year old Hannah Shepard shoved a wailing infant into David Anderson's arms "But I have a future to think about." David's eyes narrowed, he had one too... but unlike Hannah, he wasn't a coward. He wasn't going to let this kneecap him, and he'd raise his newfound daughter to believe the same. " Never let them keep you down." Was the first thing he told her. 29 years later and  Alycia Williams maintains the code her father entrusted in her , even as she serves alongside him.Alycia Anderson/Williams is 'commander shepard' only .. not a shepard. She's David Anderson's daughter from him and Hannah Shepard. This is only part of the full story, told through the moments where David and Alycia are together.
Relationships: David Anderson/Kahlee Sanders, Female Shepard & David Anderson, Female Shepard/Ashley Williams, Miranda Lawson/Female Shepard
Series: Theory of Relativity [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1682749
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Kneecaps

Hannah Shepard counted herself lucky that David’s parents weren’t home when she showed up that day. They liked her, really liked her- and wouldn’t stand for what she was about to do. The bundle in her hands wailed and Hannah’s face twisted into a look of disgust and contempt. 

“Stop crying.” She hissed, and poked gently at the forehead of the infant in her arms. Hannah hated it. Not that she wanted children, she just didn’t want this one, not with her future in the alliance systems navy already all but secured. David though, he was nobody - at least to Hannah he was. She never respected him, as strong and kind as he was- he wasn’t anything special to her. She had some hardcore ambitions, a dream to become one of the greatest admirals in the alliance- and david didn’t seem to live up to her dream. They screwed a few times, and then she left. She thought that she’d left him behind, but - no. 

When she found out she was pregnant, Hannah threw into a rage. How DARE he! How DARE the universe conspire against her. Hannah was so used to getting everything she wanted in life, and this was the first problem that her father couldn’t pay away. They were straight-laced though; and even despite both Hannah and David being 17, her parent’s morals told her that she needed to have it at least, and whatever happened to it afterwards was up to her. Fine. Hannah kept up her testing and acting and moving as long as she could before it got to the point where she couldn’t hide it anymore. Then, or rather,now- once she HAD the baby.. She had to think. There was no way in hell she was missing out on the role she had waiting for her in the Alliance- no.fucking.way. That’s when she thought of David, the child’s father- and here she was now. 

Hannah’s boots clicked against the pavement as she walked from the carpark, to the terraced house where David lived with his parents. She looked at the infant with disdain, and didn’t even care to think what the future would hold for it. It. Hannah knew she should call it Her, as it was a girl, but Hannah didn’t want to place a name or any hopes into it. That would mean attachment, and she didn’t care what happened to it, or how it would set David back. 

Hannah stepped up onto the front step of the Anderson household and wasted no time in pressing a flawless index finger onto the doorbell and pausing as the chime sounded. The infant kept on wailing, and Hannah grew impatient as she waited for David to come to the door. Sure enough, after a flurry of steps, the door swung open to reveal David Anderson, a 17 year old Alliance hopeful. He offered a confused smile to the Fire-haired Hannah.

“Hey Han! I-I uh, haven’t seen you in a while. Kinda thought you flaked on me.” David stuttered,a vivid blush appearing on his dark features.Hannah scoffed, much to David’s visible confusion. 

“Who’s this?” David quickly asked, not giving Hannah a second to interrupt him. He smiled at the infant , who stopped crying for a moment to babble excitedly at the new face.

“Your daughter.” Hannah spoke after handing the infant to David, whose initial reaction to drop whatever he was holding, was stopped only by knowing he had an infant in his hands. 

“W-what are you talking about Hannah? We-w-we, what?” David looked from the baby to Hannah, confusion mounting in his head.

“I don’t have the patience left to explain it to you, David. We had sex, something fucked up, and now you have to take care of it.” Hannah frowned, crossing her arms and leveling a glare at David, whose confusion turned to fear. 

“Hannah, Hannah! W-wha-”

“I have a future to think about, and goals I want to accomplish. I can’t let a glorified parasite keep me from them.” The infant began to wail once more, David holding her with the same care he’d used to hold his nephew just the other day. This was different, this was his, this was- no. David had a future to think of as well.

“What about my future, Hannah? Do my dreams not matter?” He pleaded as the woman already turned away to leave, he followed her out to the sidewalk. Hannah turned to glare at him, and David swore that he’d never seen her look more like a raging fire than he did now. 

“I don’t care. You, and that thing in your arms- mean nothing to me. It doesn’t even have a name.” without a single word more, Hannah hurried off, leaving David to stand dumbfounded as she disappeared out of his life yet again. The cry of his daughter tuned him back into reality, and David's face softened as he held his baby girl. He didn’t know what to do, not at all, so he knew he had to ask his parents for help- help to even begin to wrap his head around all of what just went down. David took the baby inside, and set up a space for her on the living room couch as he dialed his parents on his mobile phone. 

“I need help.” was all that was needed to be said.

He waited on the couch for his parents to return home, and watched the baby girl carefully. His baby girl, he supposed. She was small, but fairly chubby for a week old baby. She had a perfect middle ground between his dark tone, and Hannah's stark pale tone. She had a constellation of freckles that accompanied her flaming red hair perfectly; something that was undoubtedly Hannah’s genetics. Other than that- her eye color to what he could tell of her facial structure - was all him. David was enraptured to say the least , but still very much terrified at the same time. 

No time was wasted it seemed, before David’s parents busted through the front door. His mother, Ursula, quickly scooped up the infant into her arms. David’s father, Paul seemed to be the more serious one, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“So-” Paul started, “H-How did this happen? You know I told you to use protection. That was our rule in letting you explore yourself. None of this-” Paul waved his hands in the direction of the baby.

“L-l-look dad, I’m not sure either. I used protection, I always have! I-I’m just.. You know what Hannah said to me? She just placed her here and told me that I didn’t matter, and my dreams weren’t going to happen so why should it matter that I take care of an infant!” David was anxious, pacing around the room as he spoke. “She called ‘er an it. I’ve never seen someone so bloody cold before!” David’s London accent always seemed to worsen when he got emotional. David’s father grabbed his son by the shoulders and led him to the couch, sitting down with his son. 

“First-“

David made a noise of protest before getting interrupted.

“First. Just breathe, David. It’s going to be fine. We’re going to help you get everything sorted out.” Paul rubbed his son’s shoulders, an uncertain expression he then shared with his wife. It didn’t need to be said, but even David’s parents were upset at this change of action. It wasn’t just a pregnancy; where the more progressive of parent could suggest their teenager get it aborted. That time was long over; no this was long past that. The infant that Ursula Anderson held in her arms had fallen asleep. While she was always happy to see grandchildren; Ursula knew her youngest and only son had stars in his eyes- and was intent on joining the Alliance Systems Navy. He’d never expressed a desire for a traditional family, either. All of that had been thrown out the door it seemed. 

“It pains me to even suggest it,” Ursula sighed as she rocked the infant. “But you might just have to put it up for adoption, if you’re dead set on joining the Alliance.” David’s head instantly shot to face his mother, then he looked down at the now sleeping infant. His daughter. 

“Can’t I-” David’s tone faltered as he tried to find the words he wanted to say. 

“Isn’t there a way that I can keep her, and join the Alliance?”David asked. It was mainly an impulsive thought- but David didn’t want to be like Hannah. He felt a sense of pride beginning to make its way through him. If he could take care of his child, and fulfill his dream of being in the Alliance- that would mean showing Hannah that she was wrong. She was wrong, and his dreams did matter. She was wrong and both him and the child were important. David looked to his mother, who could see the fires of determination begin to ignite behind his eyes. 

“It’s going to be very hard.” His father spoke.

“I’m prepared for that. I want to prove Hannah wrong. Both me and my daughter matter, and so do our dreams.” David spoke, very matter-of-factly. His mother and father shared an expression, one that meant they both knew how serious their son was going to be. David knew it too.He wasn’t going to let this set him back, he wasn’t going to let anything set him or his daughter back. No matter the stigma, no matter the work he’d have to put in. Nothing. 

That night he held his daughter in his arms with more determination and confidence than he had when Hannah first shoved her into his arms. He’d talked about what was going to happen from there on with his parents, and what he needed to do. The infant waved her hands around at him, David smiling at the girl. 

“Never, ever let anyone keep you down.” He spoke as he stroked her cheek softly. “Universe knows you and I will both face many trials from here on out- but we gotta stick together. People will knock us down, but we have to make sure that we keep getting back up.” The little one made soft noises, but David could see that she understood in some way. 

“Your name is Alycia. Alycia Anderson. Let’s see to it that both of our names will go down in history.” With that, David pressed a kiss to his daughter’s forehead and set her to sleep. There was a lot of work to get started on. It would be hard. 


End file.
